Bureau of Reclamation

Reclamation provides 1 of 5 Western farmers with irrigation water

Reclamation is the second largest hydropower producer in the U.S.

Reclamation delivers 10 trillion gallons of water annually

Reclamation and its partners manage 289 recreation sites

Featured Resources

Stories & Media

• Interior Department Announces $30 Million for Water Reuse and Reclamation Projects in California

  

  Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael L. Connor has announced more than $30 million in funding through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program for seven projects that will provide clean water to California communities and promote water and energy efficiency. “With California in its fifth year of drought, these investments will build resilience for local communities struggling with limited water supplies – an effort that is more important than ever as the dangers of drought escalate in the face of climate change,” Deputy Secretary Connor said. “Using the best available science and technology to improve the growing disparity between water supplies and demand, this funding will help local water managers stretch dwindling resources.” Read More →

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  Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center Laser Light Show

  On May 28, Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center began its extended summer season hours, along with its Laser Light Show which plays nightly through the end of September. Visitor Center hours are from 8:30 a.m. until one hour past the start of the Laser Light Show. Through the end of July, the show will begin at 10 p.m. For August, the show begins at 9:30 p.m. and for September, 8:30 p.m. There is also an increase in the number of public tours into the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant. These one hour tours occur daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Visitors will ride a shuttle bus to the pumping plant to view gigantic pumps lifting water from Lake Roosevelt to Banks Lake, which then delivers water throughout the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. The shuttle will then take visitors across the top of Grand Coulee Dam for spectacular views of Lake Roosevelt and the Columbia River. Tours are on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are taken and space is limited. Read More →

• Bureau of Reclamation Seeks Innovative Water Treatment Prototypes and Pilot Scale Projects

  

  A new funding opportunity is now available from the Bureau of Reclamation seeking innovative water treatment prototypes and pilot-scale projects that are ready to test with real water. Through this funding opportunity Reclamation is supporting President Obama’s vision for promoting and investing in breakthrough technologies for water resources, building on the White House Roundtable on Water Innovation in December 2015. Through these projects, Reclamation is seeking to to reduce the costs, energy requirements, and environmental impacts of treating impaired and unusable waters, in order to build new water supplies and support the drought stricken West. Read More →

• Reclamation Announces Summer 2016 Park Events and Park Ranger Interpretive Programs at Lake Berryessa

  The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office has announced summer 2016 park events and Park Ranger interpretive programs at Lake Berryessa in Napa County. All activities will be held rain or shine and are free of charge. Some programs have group-size limitations, so please contact the Park Ranger office regarding availability. Participants should wear sturdy shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather and bring water and sunscreen. Children are welcome, but those under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Read More →

• Drought in the Western United States

  Many areas in the Western U.S. are currently experiencing unprecedented drought conditions. While droughts in the Western U.S. are common, there is growing evidence that climate change is causing longer and more frequent droughts in some areas. Drought directly impacts Reclamation’s ability to deliver water and power which is central to Reclamation’s mission. As the Nation's largest wholesale water supplier, Reclamation is working with our customers, stakeholders, and partners in developing resiliency to drought. Reclamation's Drought Response Program supports a proactive approach to drought. It will provide assistance to water users for drought contingency planning, including consideration of climate change information and to take actions that will build long-term resiliency to drought. Learn more at: www.usbr.gov/drought